Saturday, August 31, 2019

Iq & Eq, Intelligence and Cognitive Intelligence

A Assessment Name: Cognitive intelligence and Emotional Intelligence in Modern organisations â€Å"Intelligence is an abstract concept for whose definition continues to evolve with modernity, these days it refers to a variety of mental capabilities, including the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience as well as the potential to do so† (Bonnies Strickland, 2nd,2001).This essay will be a discussion on what cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence are, how they both represent intelligence, and how they play a role within an organisation through their strengths and limitations. This essay will discuss the recent popularity of emotional intelligence and that cognitive intelligence is not essentially the main predictor for organisational behaviour in modern organisations.Cognitive intelligence generally can be referred to IQ tests or General Mental Ability (GMA) to name a few and is defi ned as â€Å"the general efficacy of intellectual processes† (Ackerman, Beier, Boyle, 2005, as cited in Cote & Miners). Results in genetic behaviour points to beyond doubt that GMA or IQ has a strong genetic background, although heritability has shown the increase of GMA with age (Bouchard, 1998: Bouchard, McGue, 1998 as cited in Schmidt 2004).Cote and Miners 2006 believed cognitive intelligence also demonstrates as task performance based and is in relation to the organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB), this is then reflected to the organisations activities, achievement and objectives. Since the end of World War 1 measures of GMA have been used in the recruiting and hiring of employees (Yerkes, 1921 as cited in Schmidt, 2004), though the most popular GMA tests still in modern society is the Wonderlic Personnel Test.The strengths of GMA & IQ tests are that they have been used as a predictor in personnel selection for over 80 years and have substantial evidence supporting i t as a strong predictor of job performance in organisations. Schmidt has stated that GMA is positively linked to several life outcomes such as the level of education and the income of adult. Studies have been carried out on the effectiveness of GMA in relation to occupational level, according to Shmidt 2004; these include cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies.Shmidt also stated that cross-sectional studies relied on people’s rankings of the occupational level of different occupations, similarities between the mean ratings across these studies excluding the regard of age, country of origin or social class. These studies concluded that mean GMA scores increased with occupational level, so if GMA score was high for an individual they would find it harder to enter higher occupational levels. This suggests that having a lower GMA rating was a requirement for a higher job occupation (Schmidt, 2004).Longitudinal studies focussed on the prediction of occupational fulfilmen t later in life by the measurement of GMA scores in the early part of life (Schmidt, 2004). Wilk, Desmarais and Sackett 1995 used the results from the National Longitudinal survey, in which young adults were tested over a 5 year period to measure GMA, these studies predicted the hierarchy of occupational level (as cited in Shmidt, 2004). This meant if the GMA score was- high they were most likely to move into a higher complexity job, where as if their score was low they were most likely to move down into a less complex job (Schmidt, 2004).However, limitations are known for GMA testing through certain literature has led to the conclusion that GMA may not be as well understood, this can be drawn from the research conducted on GMA’s constructs and measures as well as its moral judgements (Viswesvaran & Ones, 2003). An example of this is the question of the group differences of the results and also the grounds of GMA being not good (enough) predictor (Goldstein, Zedeck &Goldstein as cited in Viswesvaran & Ones 2003).Analogy has been used from psychological testing literature that underlines GMA’s role in real life situations and environments (Reeve & Hakel: as cited in Viswesvaran & Ones, 2003). There are points of criticism that revolves around GMA; firstly is central criticism this is seen in articles by Goldstein et all, and it validates GMA for low real-life predicaments. Also it is seen that GMA tests should be acknowledged on the terminology used as some words can be seen as racist or fascist, words like discrimination and adverse can impact bias or unfair results (Viswesvaran & Ones, 2003).It has been belief that cognitive attuned staff give modern organisations the competitive advantage in the organisational domain this is due with the cognitive ability to process technical, numerical and vast amounts of information (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998. 2000; Michaels Handfield- Jones and Axelrod, 2001, as cited in Cote & Miners, 2006). Although, the limi tations of one possessing cognitive ability alone and very minimal if any emotional intelligence can result in a poor performance rate if one is to completely rely on only skills that are cognitive in the work place ( Cherniss, Goleman & Bennis, 2003).Recently theorists have suggested that one’s intelligence does not only exist of cognitive intelligence, but also a grave amount of interpersonal and emotional intelligence. In modern management, one of the most proactive concerns is that of emotions related to performance of organisations (Cote & Miners, 2006). Emotional intelligence has been discussed as a new predictor that is non-cognitive in relation to organisational performance and was popularized by Daniel Goleman in 1995 (Goleman, 1998 as cited in Cote & Miners, 2006).Emotional intelligence is defined as â€Å"a set of abilities that includes the abilities to perceive emotions in self and in others, use these emotions to facilitate performance, understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and regulate emotions in the self and in others† (Cote & Miners, 2006). Strengths of EI is correlated to the limitations of cognitive intelligence, as stated before people who score high in GMA tests can do poorly in organisations and social relations (Cherniss, 2010). An example of this would be the syndrome of Asperger’s.EI can influence job performance with the competencies of self-control, empathy, integrity, social skills, reliability, conscientiousness and motivation (Cherniss, 2010). In organisation behavioural perspective, EI can assist individuals with low GMA scores to manage their impressions well and in turn receive high performance ratings. This can be achieved by the development of links to co-workers who can provide assistance and can enrich learning- potential to that individual which than can lead to a higher level of occupation (Mehra, Kilduff & Brass 2001 as cited in Cote & Miners, 2006).According to Mayer and Salovey’s mod el, there are four main areas on EI: Identifying emotions, Using emotions, Understanding emotions and managing emotions. This model was the only model in which was supported by a confirmatory factor and measures by desirable psychometric properties (Cote & Miners, 2006). Limitations of Emotion intelligence is the dearth of studies which relates to job performance thus, is the relation of criticisms of the ‘scientific status’ of emotional intelligence in organisational behaviour (Becker, 2003; Landy, 2005, as cited in Cote & Miners, 2006).Barret and colleagues referred to emotional intelligence as â€Å"the Madison Avenue approach to science and professional practice†, he implies that the increase awareness of EI relates to the outspread of its nature which contrasts the scientific evidence (Cote & Miners, 2006). Studies have suggested that there is no relation or consistency between job performance and emotional intelligence, specifying on particular tasks as aca demic performance (Petrides, Frederickson, and Furnham, 2004, as cited in Cote & Miners, 2006).The display of competencies of emotional intelligence such as being empathetic, affiliated, highly self-aware and agreeable is not beneficial of being an effective leader (Antonakis, 2003, as cited in Pratt, Douglas, Ferris, Ammeter, and Buckley, 2003). Also, often the high need of affiliation for those requiring can place importance on individual interests rather than the organisations success (Antonakis, 2003, as cited in Pratt, Douglas, Ferris, Ammeter, and Buckley, 2003).Also, disperses of high emotional occurrences in the organisation setting, with that the concern of the negative feelings towards others could be misinterpreted. Therefore, recognising an individual’s emotions at all times is not beneficial to active and effective leadership qualities. Psychological ability defined by Wedeck as â€Å"the ability to judge correctly the feelings, moods, motivations of individualà ¢â‚¬ , which can be incorporated by that of general intelligence (Cote & Miners, 2006).Thus, because emotional and cognitive intelligence both represent that of general intelligence though in separate content domains, they may be associated with each other but would not correspond perfectly. However, several organisations have incorporated EI and GMA, IQ into their employee development programs also business schools have added EI to their curriculums (Boyatzis, Stubbs and Taylor, 2002 as cited in Cote& Miners, 2006). Most mining organisations such as (Anglo American) also have incorporated aptitude and psychological tests which include both EI and GMA, as part- of their application to job recruitment.Goleman, Mayer, Salovey and Caruso have all argued that both emotional intelligence and Cognitive intelligence make linear yet independent contributions to job performance (Cote & miners, 2006). By the combination of emotional and cognitive intelligence, people can receive higher perfo rmance in organisations. Concluding, this essay has discussed the strengths and limitations of both cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence in relation to GMA, IQ and EI testing within the organisational level.The essay has also viewed cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence operating in modern organisations either individually or incorporated together. Cognitive intelligence displays specific abilities in task and problem solving, strategic and analytical aspects of intelligence. Emotional intelligence demonstrates proficiency in producing the components of empathy, self-regulation and self-awareness in an organisational structure. Haslam (2007) summarised that many theorists discuss that one’s intelligence does not only compose of cognitive abilities but also an array of multiple interpersonal and emotional intelligences.References Cote` S, & Miners C. H. (2006). Emotional Intelligence, Cognitive Intelligence and Job Performance. Administrative Science Q uarterly, 51(1), 1-28. Anglo American. Retrieved from: http://www. angloamerican. com. au/careers/employment- programmes. aspx Cherniss, C. (2010). Emotional intelligence: Toward clarification of a concept. Industrial and Organizational Psychology,  3, 110-126. Haslam, N. (2007). Introduction to Personality and Intelligence. London, UK: SAGE Publication. Inc. Roberts, R. D. , Matthews, G. & Zeinder, M. (2010). Emotional intelligence: Muddling through theory and measurement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology,  3, 140-144. Schmidt, F. L. , & Hunter, J. (2004). General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,  86(1), 162-173. Viswesvaran, C. & Ones, D. S. (2002). Agreements and disagreements on the role of general mental ability (GMA) in industrial, work, and organizational psychology. Human Performance,  15(1/2), 211-231.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Belonging Essay

The poems by Steven Herrick ‘Caitlin and Mopping’ and ‘The Picnic’ written in 2000 and the novel by Amy Tan ‘The Joy Luck Club’ written in 1989. Through figurative language and poetic techniques the composers represent the sense and connection of belonging in narrative and poetic form. ‘Caitlin and mopping’ is a poem written by Steven Herrick in 2000. It is based on the compelling story of 16 year old boy named Billy, who trades the soulless tyranny of his father’s home and the tediousness of high school for a life of no fixed address. The purpose of the poem is to tell the reader the first time Billy meets Caitlin who is an employee, mopping the floors. They have daily chats, become great friends, which eventually turns into a relationship. Billy and Caitlin have this amazing connection, even though they come from two different worlds. They become very faithful with each other. The persona chooses to tell his story through direct speech and structural techniques. Steven Herrick uses poetic techniques, direct speech and relationships to help convey the understanding of integration in this poem. To prove so, when Billy steals leftover food in McDonalds, he opens up the oppurtunity to belong to Caitlin. When Caitlin observes Billy ‘stealing scraps’ she is drawn to the way Billy looks ‘self contained’. His demeanour is what encourages her not to call the Manager. Instead Caitlin ‘smiled at him. I smiled at him and said, â€Å"I hate mopping. †/ he sat in his chair/ and smiled back/ and i felt good/ that i hadn’t called the Manager. ’ Herrick uses the direct speech in this extract to demonstrate the potential for belonging etween Caitlin and Billy. She does the unexpected and puts him at ease and the motif of their smiles further emphasizes a connection between the two. This poem shows the significant moment of when Billy and Caitlin first met and the connection between the two will be stronger in time and shape our understanding of the two characters belonging to each other. ‘The picnic’ is a poem written by Ste ven Herrick in 2000. The poem is about Caitlin and Billy having a picnic together and showing their affection and devotion towards each other. The purpose of this poem is to show the growing sense of union and connection that builds between the two characters through stages of events. Herrick uses poetic techniques and relationships between characters to help convey the understanding of acceptance between the two characters. To prove so, Caitlin and Billy have a picnic together by the Bendarat River. The rhythm and pace of ‘The picnic’ is slow and calm. Herrick uses repitition – ‘We ate everything/ We took our time†¦ / It was warm,/ it was delicious†¦ – and a steady beat throughout this verse to illustrate that the way in which Caitlin and Billy come to feel a sense of belonging to each other is unhurried and easy. The use of personification ‘and the beer worked its magic’ attributes the human characteristics to inanimate the object, which in this case helped convey that the significant moment was working through ‘magic’. The enjambment in the final part o f the verse – ‘and we slept together/ only/ we really did just/ sleep together/ content/ to waste the hours/ close. – also places emphasis on the feelings of comfort and closeness that each provides for the other. This poem relates to ‘Caitlin and mopping’ with similar uses of techniques such as poetic techniques. This poem links to the significance of moments because this it is in actual fact about a significant moment where the two characters have a moment together which help shape their sense of belonging together through time. Both poems use the technique language modes. Herrick combines the modes of narrative and poetry to represent the concept of belonging. By combining these two modes of representation, Herrick is able to explore the many dimensions of belonging. The narrative mode helps him represent the process or stages of belonging quite clearly as his verse novel follows the conventions of plot. Each chapter moves the events of the story as a whole forward and we are able to see the ways in which his key characters begin to feel they belong together By using the mode of poetry as well in his text, Herrick is able to represent the emotions of his characters very economically and powerfully. This The novel ‘The joy luck club’ by Amy Tan is written in 1989. The story is about death of Suyuan Woo, an elderly Chinese woman and the founding member of the Joy Luck Club. Suyuan has died without fulfilling her â€Å"long-cherished wish†: to be reunited with her twin daughters who were lost in China. Suyuan’s American-born daughter, Jing-mei (June) Woo, is asked to replace her mother at the Joy Luck Club’s meetings. She soon realises the distance between herself and her daughters and makes an effort to get closer and create an affiliation bond. Amy Tan uses many techniques such as figurative language and flash backs to help convey the idea of belonging. Shown through each chapter, concepts of belonging are shown within events. In the chapter ‘Feathers from a Thousand Li Away’ In ‘scar’, An-mei’s mother ‘cut a piece of meat from her arm’ showing the daughter’s devotion to her mother, and sense of belonging to her. ‘This is how a daughter honors her mother’, comments An-mei. In ‘The Red Candle’ Lindo’s moving to her future mother-in-law’s house ends her sense of real belonging with her own family. ‘I missed my family and my stomach felt bad, knowing i had finally arrived where my life said i belonged’. This use of ‘belonged’ is ironic, however, since it is Chinese tradition which says Lindo belonged there, not her own feelings. Figures of speech such as similies and metaphors are used throughout to enrich the imagery of belonging. Similes are frequently used: ‘my mother loved to show me off, like one of my many trophies she polished’. The simile shows that Waverly felt her mother had made her into an object from which to gain status, a perception which impaired for many years her sense of belonging with her mother. Metaphors often help enhance a character’s erception about belonging, as Waverly’s later epiphany about her mother: ‘I could finally see†¦ an old woman, a wok for her armor, a knitting needle for her sword’. The metaphors of the wok and the knitting needle show Waverly’s realisation that Lindo is not threatning, and help her to regain a sense of belonging with her mother. Flashback is used in every story an d helps the reader to understand the sense of belonging or not belonging of the characters. The flash backs help us understand the characters by revealing aspects of their past. The Joy Luck Club’ relates to the two poems from ‘The Simple Gift’ because they are all similar with techniques (such as figurative language) and understanding of belonging and acceptance within the texts. The quotes, techniques and examples above emphasize that siginificant moments in life shape our identity and individuality of integration in time. It has been proven that the poet and author of the two texts have used developed structures, poetic techniques and structural techniques. The examples have proven that both, novels and poems, use significant moments in time to shape our understanding of belonging.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Hugh’s character Essay

The final story, which Hugh tells, incorporates the many criticisms of Hugh’s character. He covers up his own failings and inadequacies as a defence mechanism and reiterates this by saying to Owen, ‘to remember everything is a form of madness. ‘ This story is almost a turning point of Hugh’s character and for the audience’s interruption of his character. Hugh is no longer a two dimensional caricature but a real character with human attributes, hence why we can be critical and admirable towards him. After all, Hugh is a self-educated man with a vast depth of knowledge of the Classics, speaking four languages, that we know of, Greek, Latin, Gaelic and English; nearly all of which he would have to have taught himself. He seems to be driven to share his knowledge. By teaching the Classics in his environment of rural poverty, himself a picture of poor ragged countryman, we must appreciate his drive and ability. Hugh also formed the ‘Hedge School’ well as far as we know. He is attempting to educate the locals and one almost feels that he has taken the school from the hedge lines into the barn and still as an old man in his early sixties he has the ambition to move onward and upward to a new position at the new national school. He is clearly a figure in the local community who is looked up and respected by his peers and students alike. In addition, Yolland has a great deal of respect for him, calling him † an astute man. ‘ Yolland almost has more respect for Hugh than Owen does because Owen continues to be critical of him and Yolland repeats, ‘But so astute,’ almost placing Hugh on a pedestal. In addition, as an audience you have to respect his ability to cope with his situation, his wife has died and his sons are without a mother. It is easy to be critical of Hugh but you have to admire his ability to cope with the hard reality of the times he is living in even if that means trying to erase the past. After all he did live in an age of hand to mouth existence and he almost blocks out the reality of these hardships. His survival mechanism is a natural and human instinct. We cannot really blame him for wanting to live in an unrealistic world of Greek myth and Latin past. Neither can you chastise his drinking. His lifestyle and the stress of his situation is what drives him to drink and you cannot really fault him for that. All of these small but simple gestures that Friel incorporates into Hugh’s character are what make us as an audience have admiration for him. Friel does not create a stereotypical character, but a ‘fully-rounded’ individual with human qualities, it is these qualities, which allow us as an audience to both admire and criticise his character.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Beowulf and Roland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Beowulf and Roland - Essay Example Beowulf protects the united community of man and does not allow the division and emptiness that are born from the soul of the vile beast Grendel to ravage the halls of Heorot any longer. Resisting Grendel’s savage attack on human solidarity, Beowulf takes up the defense of Heorot and the case of every nation whose name was so poignantly placed upon the high walls of this great hall of men. (Young 2006) The defense of Heorot was successful. Beowulf has fought tremendous battles before. He understood what fighting and death consisted of. This might have had an impression on Beowulf as he went to face the dragon. Oliver counsels Roland to blow his oliphant horn, to call back Charlemagnes main force, but Roland refuses. The Franks fight valiantly, but in the end they are killed to the man. Roland blows his oliphant so that Charlemagne will return and avenge them. (Borey 2006) Another aspect concerning the attitudes of Beowulf and Roland is the reason behind the last battles. Beowulf had to fight a dragon that was going to destroy his kingdom. This evil would not stop unless Beowulf stopped it. The dragon

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Hosting the Olympics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hosting the Olympics - Assignment Example The second category is the benefit of receiving international attention through media coverage. The last long term economic benefit is related to the community; there will be formation of educational and youth programs, there will also be formation of jobs for a number of individuals in the country. Some local volunteer programs will also be formed. Thereafter, there will be formation of community development programs. All the details of both the short term and long term benefits will be examined in the subsequent portions of the essay. (Segrave, 1998) Short term economic benefits may be defined as the total changes that will occur in terms of employment, revenue and total national output through outside investments. The first economic impact will result form the fact that the host country will be required to produce more goods and services to cater for the additional numbers. The consumers of those gods are most likely going to be the athletes themselves and their officials. There will also be international spectators and national spectators that will need to consume additional industrial products. It is a matter of fact that the event will need to be covered by media personalities both nationally and internationally. These groups will need to consume goods made by the host country. The Olympics themselves have representatives in the host country and they will need to consume commodities. Lastly, there will be numerous sponsors attending the event and they will also be required to purchase commodities. The total sum of additional revenue that will come from the sale of commodities produced by the host country's industries to the above mentioned groups will make up a huge chunk of the direct economic benefits coming form hosting the Olympics. There may be some visitors that will still be interested in seeing the host country's sites during the Olympic Games and after. There can be huge amounts of revenue received from those visits. Research conducted in this area has indicated that a host country can earn up to 823 million dollars out of the visitors who may come to visit the host country within the first twenty days prior to the event and twenty days after the event. This is also topped up by some new businesses that may be created as direct result of the Olympics and this can bring about a total of 1.1 billion dollars. (Reinberger, 1988) Employment is another great economic benefit that will come as a result of hosting the event. One cannot underestimate the level of job creation that an event of such magnitude can bring to the host country. The employment opportunities may either be part time or full time. An economic estimate in Atlanta, Georgia (a State that held the Olympics) found that about seventy seven thousand new jobs were created. Forty seven percent of this figure came from the direct spending made by visitors in the host nation. There are certain industries that will benefit more than others in this regard. The lodging and hotel industry will take up the largest portion of those new jobs. The second most important industry is the food industry, it should also be noted that bars or other facilities offering drinks also fall in that category. The third category of industries that will also benefit from new jobs will be the retail sector and the

Public relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Public relations - Essay Example le during crisis management and help in building goodwill about the company to the target market and community through special programs and philanthropic work. In this paper we will specifically talk about the role of crisis management by the public relations specialist. Crisis management is a new field in public relations management. The activities for crisis management should be proactive so that potential forecasts can be recognised and corrective measures can be taken. The basic pattern that is followed is to identify the crisis situation, minimize the effect and recover from the crisis. James E. Lukaszewski, has given seven dimensions to of crisis communication management. These are: Operations; Victims; Trust/credibility; Behaviour; Professional expectations; Ethics; and Lessons learned. The operations dimension includes responses such as: candour, explanation, declaration, contrition, consultation, commitment and restitution. The victim management dimension has cycles and all victims move through these cycles as they resolve the situation. These cycles are: recognition of impact, seeking retribution, and severely distorted recollection. The third dimension is based on trust and credibility. Some behaviour such as explaining problems and the willingness to talk openly, with respecting the victims all illustrate the credibility of the organisation. The behaviour dimension shows us the negative behaviour demonstrated by the companies work against them in crisis situations. These negative behaviours include: inconsistency, little preparation, arrogance, minimizing the needs of the victims and not responding to them. The professional expectation dimension includes the standards involved in the industry. For the food industry there would be standards such as Public Relations Society of Americas (PRSA) Code of Professional Standards and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators. In the ethical

Monday, August 26, 2019

MARRIAGE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MARRIAGE - Essay Example One can also designate other equally important topics of the consideration of marriage, namely marriage as "as a reflection of the life of the Trinity," "domestic Church," and "a vocation." (â€Å"Marriage,† 35, 38, 43). Finally, Christian theology considers the themes of "growth in Christian marriage," "growth in the virtues toward perfection, "and a" marriage fulfilled in the Kingdom of God" (â€Å"Marriage,† 45, 47, 52, 56)Ã'Ž As indicated above, the Christian church in the face of Catholic priests based is on the belief that marriage is not only a creation of the people as a union between men and women. Marriage is primarily a gift of God, which is regarded by God as free from original sin. The sanctity of marriage is determined by the union between a man and a woman, who are created in the image and likeness of God. In addition, the basic meaning of marriage is that it "has two fundamental ends or purposes towards which it is oriented, namely, the good of the spouses as well as the procreation of children" ("Marriage," 11). A man and a woman are united in marriage not only as spiritual beings, but also as material beings. They become one flesh. United by love, men and women live for each other. Each of them thinks about his/her partner as the meaning of life that causes them to be ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of him/her. This unity finds its logical continuation in children. Having childre n is an amazing act that sanctifies the union between a man and a woman and makes it adequate to Gods plan. Only the appearance of children makes a marriage a true union between a man and a woman. According to the second theme, the Christian understanding of earthly marriage involves its comparison with the Trinity. Earthly marriage is a union between a man, a woman, and their children. This unity is based on love and devotion that make all members of the family inextricably linked. The basic meaning of marriage is

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Compliance gaining strategies & reconciliation in romantic Research Paper

Compliance gaining strategies & reconciliation in romantic relationships - Research Paper Example Any person physically assaulted by the partner in the relationship should report it and proper actions should be taken against the perpetrators. The situation at hand is that of a particular couple with constant problems; the male partner results in physically assaulting his girlfriend claiming that she is disrespectful. The man has a very low opinion of the girlfriend; he even cannot consider dialogue as a means of solving their problems. He considers her to be subordinate and, thus, she should comply with whatever he says. On the other hand, the lady feels humiliated, worthless, disrespected and despised (Rill, et al, 2009). So the woman succumbs to this and decides to do all the man desires in order to avoid conflict and future assaults. In this case the woman has resigned and her self-esteem has been drawn from her. This condition is called a double-bind where one is bound to do all that the other person desires. Given the scenario above, the man wants to be seen as the total source of authority, he wants to feel respected and powerful. This might have emulated from the society’s view of both genders; for instance, in many societies men are viewed to be the decision makers while women are expected to be listeners (Knee, Patrick & Lonsbary, 2003). The girlfriend, on the other hand, does not want the relationship to end and can do anything in order to ensure it works out. Because she loves the man so much, they have been through a lot together and above all they have a child together, hence, she cannot imagine getting separated with him. To Rill et al (2009), cooperation is a strategy that is employed by the girlfriend in order to gain the confidence of her partner. In this case, the girl will try as much as she can to cooperate with her boyfriend and carry out his demands as he expects. This is because she thinks everything is going to run smoothly due to the cooperation with her boyfriend, and all causes of conflict will be

Saturday, August 24, 2019

You chose it for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

You chose it for me - Essay Example I have always admired famous racers like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton for their feats in those tiny but powerful speed machines. Drag racing, like the F1 series and indeed any other racing type involves; speed and acceleration competitions with the main difference being that in street, drag racing, anyone can participate. Furthermore, one does not need a special car, however, people often adjust their vehicles for maximum performance; in addition, a drag race involves only two cars at a time while other motorsports have as many as the course can safely hold. A drag race is a contest in which cars race over a predetermined distance usually a quarter mile with the winner being the one who reaches the finish line first, it is done on a drag strip. The racing event takes the form of two-vehicle racing at a time with each loser being eliminated from the contest and the winners proceed until only one is left, and this is the ultimate winner. In as much as I am a motor sports enthusiast, I rarely actively participate, and even when I drive fast, it is often within speed limits. Nonetheless, this does not prevent me from enjoying the racing experience since watching the cars is every bit as fulfilling as it would be driving them especially in view of the fact that it much less risky. On the Friday night of fun, it would be fitting to say I had the best time of my life in respect to motor sports, this is because although drag races do not rival the F1and other professional racing experiences, in terms of speed, cars, and stunts, I got to watch from the sidelines as opposed to the Television screen. This proximity helped to â€Å"feel† the race on a personal level, more so, many of the drivers were my friends and cheering them was a fabulous deal of fun since we could discuss the races later on and try to determine how they could be improved with giving a spectators perspective to the drivers. This race was a chance for me, the drivers and

Friday, August 23, 2019

Laboratory Excercise Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Laboratory Excercise - Research Paper Example 2. Four tree species Four distinct tree species were observed in Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest between 20:30:19 and 21:00:19 Brazil times. One of the tree species had a thick stem and branches. The leaves of this tree were not observable within the viewpoint of the webcam. This tree species was located in the middle background of the webcam. The second tree had banana-like leaves and occupied the left hand side of the webcam. The branches and stem of this tree were not covered within the view of the webcam. The third tree species comprised of shrubs that occupied the lower left side the webcam. The leaves of these shrubs were bright, green and irregular in shapes. The fourth tree species composed of the dry stems in the middle background of the webcam. This tree species had no leaves nor branches since the remaining branches were dry. 3. Bat The bat flew from the left side of the webcam. It spent two minutes within the view of the camera before exploring the feeding table. The bat the n disappeared to the left side of the webcam. Environmental conditions Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest is characterized by wet and warm climate. Mean monthly temperatures remain above 180C throughout the year. The forest floor receives only 2% of the solar radiation due to extensive canopy. Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest receives more than 2,000 millimeter of rain per year (Marent & Morgan, 2006). The inter-tropical convergence zone plays a crucial role in creating the climatic conditions suitable for rain forests. The precipitation in this forest ranges between 700 and 1,600 millimeter. Approximately 50% of this precipitation comes from the forest’s own precipitation (Livejoy & Hannah, 2005). Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest is humid across the year because of heavy rains. Around 75% of the biotic species in Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest are indigenous. Patterns and Density of Biodiversity in Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest The rapid expansion of human population and economies in the 21s t century has led to stresses on natural ecosystems and the species within them (Marent & Morgan, 2006). Biodiversity is the range of variation found among the living organisms. Ecosystem refers to any geographic location occupied by living organisms and the nonliving parts of their physical environment. Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest has a dense and irregular tree species. The trees do not have any uniformity in pattern since Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest is a natural forest. The forest is covered by a variety of indigenous trees, but only four species were observable within the view of the webcam (Marent & Morgan, 2006). The forest also hosts a variety of animal species such as insects, reptiles and birds. The webcam, however, captured the white butterfly-like insect and a bat. Factors Influencing Biodiversity in Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest The first factor influencing biodiversity in Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest is global climate. Weather forecasters have revealed rapid climate cha nge across the world. Climate change such as increased temperatures, wind and intensity of sunshine affects the ecosystems in the Ornithos Atlantic Rainforest (DellaSalla, 2011). Organisms that do not have rapid adaptive features cannot survive extreme climatic conditions, and thus cease to exist. The second factor influencing biodiversity is natural disturbances. Storms and strong winds are common in rainforest areas, and frequently cause considerable damage in forests (Marent & Morgan,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Ironies of Emancipation Essay Example for Free

Ironies of Emancipation Essay The article â€Å"Ironies of Emancipation: Changing Configurations of Women’s Work in the ‘Mission of Sisterhood’ to Indian Women† by Jane Haggis is an article that was written from a feminist perspective to ask specific questions about how the influence of the mission of sisterhood either helped or hurt Indian women in the 1800’s. The author takes the position that Indian women were confined to marriages more acutely because of the presence of female missionaries in India. The author points out that the female missionaries became almost a â€Å"symbol of emancipation in terms of British imperial feminism† and for this reason alone, the Indian population was unhappy with the way the females presented themselves and did not change (Haggis123). The missionary work, in of itself, was â€Å"women’s work† and was a way in which the British women were able to exert their own independence while doing the will of God. This article focuses a great deal on how the religion of the time affected the way in which British and Indian women communicated and interacted with each other and was a reason for the outcome, either the failure or the accomplishments, of the Mission of Sisterhood. The author describes how these women were expected to carry out their â€Å"women’s work† despite the domestic duties that were expected of a Victorian wife and mother, mostly because in Travencore women had a different role in terms of motherhood because their children were often sent away to school to get a proper British education. This left them able to pursue other duties, such as their mission to the Indian women (Haggis 119). This article makes a lot of good points about how British women were involved in missionary work in India in Victorian times and explains their role in their society, both at home and abroad. It’s interesting to note that the Indian women were perhaps kept back because of the influence of these women on their culture, instead of being converted. Work Cited Haggis, Jane. Ironies of Emancipation: Changing Configurations of Womens Work in the Mission of Sisterhood to Indian Women. Feminist Review 65 (2000): 108-126. JSTOR. 5 Feb. 2007.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Happiness Essay Example for Free

Happiness Essay Most humans, I hope, strive and yearn for happiness in whatever they do. It’s almost as if it’s a basic human need. They want to â€Å"feel good,† content, and satisfied with whatever they do or have. In the Jewish Text â€Å"Ethics of Our Fathers† it is written, â€Å"Who is Rich? One who is happy with his portion. † I wholeheartedly believe this scripture. People always want more and more, yet they never seem to be contempt. They want the next best car, or the nicer shirt, but they can’t seem to achieve the happiness they so desire. Unfortunately we see often in the news of a wealthy businessman, or a famous actor/actress who are either arrested or worse, found dead because of an alcohol or drug related event. Why do these wealthy, successful and beautiful people do this to themselves? They have everything there heart desires at their fingertips, but there is something visibly lacking. I believe that it’s because they weren’t able to achieve true happiness and they fell into a bad depression. Someone can have so much money, clothes and cars, but where is the love? Where is the true human interaction? I can honestly say most of these people live artificial lives. From their â€Å"celebrity relationships† with 5 kids from 3 husbands to having every new piece of clothing, they see themselves that it’s all empty and meaningless but they can’t get out of that rut. Business men who either have the â€Å"too-much-money† syndrome or the ones that have fallen on extremely hard times have the same issue, so much as they even have a stereotype when it comes to depression- doing drugs, and lots of it. While this all seems clear cut and simple, it’s truly not. The human mind is very complex and very unique. Richard Layard, in his book â€Å"Happiness- Lessons From A New Science† tries to shed some light on this topic and even suggests some ways on how to change ourselves to become happy and to attain more and more happiness during our lives. He uses his knowledge of several different sciences and economics to try to show us where happiness comes from and how we can attain it. Layard starts off with a series of questions on page 12 â€Å"So what is the feeling of happiness? Is there a state of â€Å"feeling good† or â€Å"feeling bad† that is a dimension of all our waking life? Can people say at any moment how they feel? Indeed, is your happiness something, a bit like your temperature, that is always there, fluctuating away whether you think about it or not? If so, can I compare my happiness with yours? † Layard asked some very in depth and powerful questions here. He then proceeded to answer them all with a yes. I don’t believe that the answer is a universal yes. There are billions of people in the world with billions of different backgrounds, feelings and beliefs. One point I can agree with Layard on is his second question, Is there a state of â€Å"feeling good† or â€Å"feeling bad† that is a dimension of all our waking life? There is. When we as humans do tasks or interact with other people, we need to be in a certain mind frame. If someone, for example, isn’t in a â€Å"happy mood† they might not be able to accomplish what they would like to because their mind is in a state which won’t allow them to. When I was studying abroad in Israel I went through a traumatic, near death experience. I was jeeping with my cousins near the Jordan Desert when suddenly ground gave way to our jeep and we overturned into a deep ditch. I was on the side that the jeep landed on and was buried under debris and all of the gear and belongings that were in the jeep at the time. My oldest cousin Yossi, an ex-delta sniper for the Israeli Defense Forces, extricated me out, I was in a shaken up but happy mood. That happy mood didn’t last too long. We had to wait over 3 hours for a team of professionals to come and evacuate us out of the desert. I was getting scared and cold, all the meanwhile with much time on my hands to sit and ponder. I eventually went into a mild depression for the next few days. Little to no appetite, almost no conversation, and even skipping prayer services were some of the effects of this mini-depression. I went to Israel to study and to become more observant in my religion. The experience of the jeeping accident led me into â€Å"bad mood† that temporarily blinded me from my purpose, and what I wanted to accomplish couldn’t be accomplished at that time. When Layard talks about â€Å"The Function of Happiness† on page 24, he makes a strong statement â€Å"It (happiness) is supremely important because it is our overall motivational device. We seek to feel good and to avoid pain. (not moment by moment, but overall. )† He brings examples of things that we do in everyday life that bring us happiness or sadness, things that if they weren’t done, would have brought the human race to its demise. He brings this to light to show that even when we are not realizing it, we are looking to bring ourselves happiness and joy, and while not realizing it, we are achieving a human need of happiness. Layard, on page 48, delves into something I can honestly assume a great portion of humanity deals with. It is the concept of the â€Å"Hedonic Treadmill†; once a human gets something nice or something â€Å"happy† occurs in one’s life, the good feeling only lasts a while until that person wants more, or the next best happiness. Rich people always want the next fastest car, the watch with the most diamonds that year, the dress with the most zeros on the price tag than the year before. If one wasn’t able to acquire that â€Å"need or want† that they so desired, they would not be as happy as they were and, according to Layard, one would â€Å"revert† back to how they felt before they had that next best thing. I deal with this feeling every day, but through discussions with close mentors of mine, I have been able to curb that want somewhat, but sometimes I still can’t help it. I always wanted to lease a car with features, but I was rejected by car companies many times. Finally this year after much thought and after getting my finances in line, I was approved to lease a 2012 Honda. The car came with leather, power seats, heated seats, and alloy rims. I was ecstatic! I finally got what I have been wanting. Now it’s a month later and Im getting used to the car, but I want more features in it. I see myself â€Å"running† on this treadmill. I realize it’s a natural human want, but I try to make myself happy with what I have and I utilize mentors and friends to help me feel the way I desire to feel. Taking NLP into consideration, I see a perfect example of â€Å"mirroring† involved with the way we feel with regards to happiness and feelings. For example, at on occasion or get together, whether a happy or sad one, people usually act the way most people are at those events. When a bride or groom walks down the aisle at a wedding, one might not have the intention to clap for them, but they do anyway unintentionally because other people are doing it. Another example is when couples are married and live together for 40 to 50 years. They tend to start looking similar to each other even though they looked completely different at time of marriage. The same goes here with materialistic happiness and satisfaction. We sometimes want the next best thing because our friend does, or because our friend has it and we want to mirror them and have the same thing. While I feel that Layard makes amazing points on the topic of happiness and the way we deal with feelings on a daily basis, I don’t believe he has the final word on it. He is an independent researcher with only his opinion to back it up. The world is way too large and diverse to even base a scientific study on happiness with a range of 80,000 people. He definitely makes some headway into shedding light on the way we feel and what makes humans feel the way they do. My personal formula for happiness hasn’t changed much, but after reading some of what Layard has to say, and considering some NLP, I actually understand more why certain things make me and others happy, things that I didn’t understand previously. I now know why I feel the way I feel sometimes after purchasing an item, or going through an experience. Happiness is a very tough concept to understand but with learning and self-introspection, one can move closer to true happiness every day.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Reasons for the gender pay gap

Reasons for the gender pay gap Since 1960, the feminization in the European work force is a phenomenon unquestionable. Indeed, today in France of 100 employed people, 47 are women contrary to 1962 where they were 34. In spite of this increase, sex is a significant decisive of professional position in working places (De Curraize, Y., Hugouneny, R., (2004)). This gender discrimination results through the gap of salaries between men and women. We consider in this study gender that gender gap defines oneself as a measure of the difference between the earning of men and women (Andrew Barnard (August 2008) p.18). Certainly, a number of significant review and reports have revealed that women in both full time and part time work earn less than men. Therefore, it remains professional disparities between men and women. To understand this gender discrimination, our analysis focuses on pay according sexes. Firstly, a current situation regarding women work will give basing on factors and reasons that have contributed to this situation. Secondly, a legal position will be analyzed through government initiatives set up to reduce this issue. Finally, the measures that organizations should and could take to eliminate gender pay gap will be examined. First of all, this part will focus on the current situation regarding women work and will find the factors which are contributed to this situation. Above all, it is necessary to define payment to understand our subject. Indeed, payment defines oneself as an income and all contractual terms and conditions including a basic salary and other benefits for example bonus, pension scheme, company car that could receive an employees. Today, the pay gap between men and women tend to decrease but it remains narrowed slightly. Indeed in the UK, the statistics revealed that pay gap between sexes is 12,2 per cent in 2009 while in 2008 it was 12,6 per cent. Therefore, sexes pay gap decreased however it has not removed. Moreover, according to Employee Benefits in Salary Survey (2009) the mean salary of men including rewards differs from  £16,000 above the mean salary of women. (Jones, Ben (December 2009)). Furthermore, in regard to the median earning, it is noticeable that the average pay of man in 2006 is  £11.71 contrary to women which is  £10.24. Anon (11/9/2006) Sexes pay gap shrinks. We could wonder if the women work is being valued equally to men. According to Anon (01/11/1999), the women work is 20 per cent less valuable than mens work. However, it is difficult to understand the pay gap if pay is not associated to observable factors. In fact, to analyze difference of income between men and women, we have to add the age, the region the occupation industries and sectors variables (Andrew Barnard (August 2008) p.23). According to Appendices 1, 2 and 3, it is to say that these variables have a significant impact on earnings. Firstly, if we focus on age effect on earning according to gender we can see that men progress faster than woman until 21-22 years old, then earnings increase at a similar rate until age 40 and after 46 years women earning are high than men. (See appendix 1) This tendency can be explained by the fact that women tend to return later to the working market due to their career breaks when they are pregnant. Secondly, if we choose the variable of occupational effects (See appendix 2) it is argueable that there is a difference of earnings between men and woman in managers and senior officials higher than administrative and secretarial occupations. In fact people who work within professional and technical occupations, career breaks are damaging people future earnings less who work within professional and technical occupations that means career is more flexible compared to senior officials occupations. Finally, in appendix 3 it can be seen clearly that women are submit to discrimination in m anufacturing, agriculture and fishing, energy and quarrying sectors due to their lack of skills in this sector. Only, the public sector offers roughly the equal earnings according gender. Finally, we can study the mentality of European Union members that know their feelings about the subject and know if for them it is natural that women work less than men in nowadays. (See appendix 4). The survey reveals that Europeans opinions differ from one country to another. In France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal the majority of pooled people are discordant to this statement. Contrary to Greece, Bulgaria, Lithuania which are agree to say that it is normal that women work less than men. (European Commission (2009)) the results of this survey show very well that the mentalities are difficult to change and this contributes to discriminate women working. Discrimination occurs when one persons wage is different from another otherwise identical persons for reasons of non-productivity related characteristics such as gender Andrew Barnard (August 2008). Therefore, it is questionable why women are paid less than men. Andrews Barnard thinks it results from a combination of discriminatory and economic reasons. According to De Curraize, Y., Hugouneny, R., (2004), allocation of time between productive and domestic spheres is often in favor or men. Indeed, the salary of women is often a supplementary salary whereas men are specialized in working area. Moreover, stereotypical perceptions of women still remains through a lack of flexibility due to their needs to reconcile demands of career and family, some negative effects of masculine organizational culture. As reported by the minister of employment, social cohesion and housing (2006), women are less paid than men because their working time is lower than mens men working time. Indeed women work more frequently than men in part-time, they are doing more complementary hours but less lucrative than supplementary hours. In other part, men in average jobs are paid more than women in such that their supplementary hours are also in average better pay. Moreover, the pay gap between men and women is not only due to discrimination. Indeed, Hakims (2004) argues that it is a scientific theory. Men and women have different main interests and they find their fulfillment through differ balance. Of 100 women, 20 are work centred, 20 are home centred and 60 are adaptive. And on 100 men 30 are adaptive, 60 are work centred and 10 are home centred. Furthermore, it can be add also that women have a profile career easier to damage than men. The presence of children is of course a reason to cease activity particularly in women less qualified. Concerning women who have a high level of studies, maternity has an effect of working length with a transition of part-time to conciliate work and family life. Finally, women are concentrated in less lucrative fields often they are focus on health, social, teaching jobs at the expense of scientific and engineer field therefore we can speak about of occupational segregation (De Curraize, Y., Hugouneny, R., (2004)). Finally, Goldberg (1973) thinks that the male dominance in the working area could come from their hormones. Indeed, their attraction of competition, assertiveness, and dominant are due to their testosterone. Therefore, it is obvious for them to be in high hierarchy. To conclude this part, we can consider that discriminal in pay, occupational segregation and the unequal impact womens family responsibilities are three main factors which contribute to the gender gap. In this second part, a legal position regarding women work will be given through government initiatives. The main actors who contributed most to progress in the area of gender equality according to survey of European Commission (2009) are associations representing womens interests, national equality organization, trade unions, the European Institutions (European Parliament, European Commission, European Council), National public authorities, NGOs, and Employers representatives. Firstly, we will see that some convention, laws and ratification will create to reduce gender discrimination. Firstly, on the European level, some texts have been ratified. First of all the principle of equality between men and women defined in article 119 of Roma Treaty (1957) which announces the equality of pay without discrimination based on sex. This implies a payment given for a same job being establish in the basis of the same unit of measurement and that the payment given for a job paid being the same for the same work position. On the national level, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and United Kingdom Parliament have enforced The equal pay act in 1970 which is amended in 1983 based on prohibition of any less favorable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions of employment. The term pay is interpreted in a broad sense to include, on top of wages, things like holidays, pension rights, company perks and some kinds of bonuses. Also, Sex discrimination Act dated of 1975 protects men and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marriage. Moreover, this Act is mainly in relation to employment, training, education, harassment, the provision of goods and services, and the disposal of premises. Other amendments have been introduced by the Sex Discrimination Act 1986, the Employment Act 1989, the Equality Act 2006, and other legislation such as rulings by the European Court of Justice. In February 2001, the EOC sets up Equal pay task force publishing a report to eliminate gender pay gap and almost try to understand it, take evidence and suggest commendation about how to close the gap through amending social economic and labour market policies to complement equal pay measures for instance flexibility, training opportunities. This report lays down 5 multi-levels to addressing the issue. The first one is raising levels of awareness and developing a common understanding of what the pay gap means, the second is reforming and modernising the equal pay legislation, then capacity building to ensure that employers and trade unions know how to implement equal pay, the fourth is enhancing transparency and developing accountability for delivering pay equality and the final one is amending social, economic and labour market policies to complement equal pay measures (Equal Pay Task Force Report (2001)). The law of 23 March 2006 has the same goal of Equal pay task force however this law leads to a sanction when there is no plan of curbing professional inequalities in com panies. (Gottely-Fayet J. (Mars 2010)) James Purnell, Minister of State for Pensions Reforms (March 2007) would allow men to share more domestic responsibilities. As reality has proved that men are already doing more within the household, but they still do less than women. This pensions reforms stands for tackle to stereotypical career paths (job suited to women for example Women and Work Commission- Five Cs), remove stereotypes embedded in organizational culture for instance women in support roles and reduce stereotypical view of men as managers (Managing diversity for equal diversity course slides). We have to notice also the Governments Ten Year Childcare Strategy (2nd December 2004) which is setting up to improve parents life. It relies on 4 principles which include the choice and the flexibility which is means that parents have a large choice about balancing work and family life, the availability concerning families with children aged up to 14 who need it, an affordable, high-quality childcare place is available in o rder to meets their expectations, the quality where a high-quality provision with a highly skilled childcare is promoted and finally the affordability where families could be able to afford flexible high-quality childcare that is appropriate to their needs according to the Government office for London (2004). And finally the Equality Act 2006 allowing to the British Government to introduce regulations outlawing discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation in goods and services in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the Sexual Orientation Regulations 2006) and a provision relating to the creation of a public duty to promote equality on the ground of gender. Finally, can be seen that government shows the will to remove discrimination through creative equal opportunities initiatives based on career-break schemes, work place nursery, women-only training programs, special holidays, work-sharing and part-time employment. (Firth-Cozens, J. and A. West (1990)) Government initiatives against discrimination are not enough to succeed to reach a total equality between men and woman. Indeed, other strategies within companies can be used to combat pay gap. Firstly, according to Jones, Ben (December 2009) a greater transparency is necessary in the companies, the availability of pay showing detailed job evaluations. For instance, in the public sector equal pay monitoring is a compulsory requirement. Employees have to make audits to publish gender gap in order to aware on discrimination, review existing policies within their companies and to re-examine how your staff are paid. The audit results will help to identify and address pitfalls in pay systems. It will also suggest good basis for create new policies or improving old ones. If companies are enrolled in fair pay this allow to have a positive impact on staff motivation and retention. It will also improve trust in the employer/employee relationship. EOC Equal opportunities commission (2009) pointed out. Some others measures should be taken to reduce the pay gap between men and women like impose penalties on company guilty of gender based pay discrimination, intensifying efforts to combat prejudice and generally negative accepted areas concerning women that is means challenging stereotypes; facilitate responsibility women positions through formal monitoring programs, remove barriers of inflexible working; improve access for women and men to sectors and jobs in which they are under-represented for example apply a fair recruitment and selection procedures and finally enhancing the standing of the sectors or jobs in which a majority of women are employed like combining work and family life, lifelong opportunities for women in training and work, embedding quality part-time work and improving careers advice. European Commission Survey (2009) p.67 Moreover, EOC proposes a guide to employers on equal pay between men and women under the sex discrimination ordinance. Indeed, company can enroll in Equal Pay Policy in order to have a good employment practice to maintain open communication with staff. This policy permits to ensure to employees a clear understanding on problems relating to their career within their organizations and understand principles affections their remuneration throughout their working life within their company. The Equal Pay Policy should cover the following requirement in order to combat pay gap: Some commitment are recommended like organizations commitment to support the principle of equal pay between men and women, an outline of the policies and practices undertaken by the organization to ensure pay equity, a commitment to carry out equal pay self-audits periodically and to take corrective actions if necessary, another one to provide resources to monitor equal pay practice in the organization, an account of actions taken and results obtained to validate compliance on equal pay under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance and the establishment of a mechanism to provide assistance to staff to address equal pay concerns. To sum it up Governments, organizations and institutions show their will to reduce and remove gender gap thanks to some Acts and laws such as the Equal Pay Act, Equality Act or Governments ten year child care strategy. Also, some strategies are implemented within companies like the development of a certain transparency, audits, fair recruitment, and career advice. In spite of the reduction of gender pay gap, we notice that it still remains through some statistics which show discrimination in pay, occupational segregation and unequal impact womens family responsibilities. There are good reasons to be optimistic about the future because the majority of Europeans consider that it is not normal that a women work less than men therefore the mentalities are changing however to combat women work discrimination it is questionable if the image of the women should be less stereotype in the media? Appendices Figure 1 Andrew Barnard (August 2008) Modelling the gender pay gap in the UK: 1998 to 2006 Figure 2 Andrew Barnard (August 2008) Modelling the gender pay gap in the UK: 1998 to 2006 Figure 3 Andrew Barnard (August 2008) Modelling the gender pay gap in the UK: 1998 to 2006 Figure 4 European Commission (2009), Gender equality in the EU in 2009

Social Networking: A Modern Day Freak Show Essay -- Social Networking

The carnival grotesque, with its freak shows and abnormal humans, was very popular and controversial back in the late 18th to early 19th century, by then it had matured into a distinct form of entertainment. In the 21st century, has the concept become dated? Has the freak show been revealed for the mistreatment and subjugation of many poor human beings? We live in times where many things that were once discriminated are now accepted and many kinds of people recognized as members of society and although there are instances that would challenge that notion, it is only a minority. This represents the progress mankind has made to understand one another. But has the idea of the freak show been abandoned with this new period? It is unfortunate to say that is not the case. In fact if anything it has only intensified with the advancement of society, particularly relating with technology and social networking. Social networking is the spectacle and barker in this relationship of the freak sho w to modern times. It is because of social networking, that we can see examples of the freak show displayed in our daily lives. I want to explore this further, explaining in greater detail how the freak show and the carnival grotesque have advanced with society as everything else and in fact plays on these advancements to contribute to the spectacle of the freak show and grotesque. Of course, technology is how we advance in society. In advancement, we take on new cultures and let us abandoned many uncivilized ideas. Social media sites like Facebook or Twitter are examples of how we have advanced in talking with more people and social networking. With that, people argue that it has led to â€Å"more communication and not less† (Observer) and makes sociali... ... 16 Nov. 2015. . Marche, Stephen. "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?." Atlantic. n. page. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. . Marynell Maloney Law Firm, . "Is Facebook Turning You Into A Monster." EmilyVento. Blogger, 22 Mar 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. . Mean Comments. 2010. Photograph. Mean CommentsWeb. 17 Dec 2013. . Nyoung, . "freak shows for our times." Western Morning News. (2007): n. page. Print. The Observer, . "Social networking under fresh attack as tide of cyber-scepticism sweeps US." Guardian. (2011): n. page. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. .

Monday, August 19, 2019

Is Violence in Pursuit of Happiness Justified? Essay -- Civil Disobedi

How are the people, oppressed by others and by the government, supposed to react? Certainly, they do not enjoy being treated unjustly, however, they should still obey the laws. Is it to the laws of the land that command total submission or to his convictions by which he is convinced that the system is totally unjust? Therefore, how should citizens defend their liberties, without using violence or disobeying the law, if they think it’s unjust? If an individual obeys the law, he would automatically be thought of supporting the unjust system but in case he does not, he would be accused of disobeying the law. There are various controversies about whether violence is justified when liberty is threatened. Throughout history, people have had numbers of arguments on this topic. Civil disobedience is usually thought to be an â€Å"illegal activity undertaken to protest laws that are regarded as unjust† (Schlesinger). In order to eliminate injustice, or at least the most unjust law in the system , people may start disobeying that particular law. Thoreau, Gandhi, and King each were closely related on the concept of civil disobedience, they all thought that the government was in need of fundamental transformation. However, they did support the non-violence movements. I would not say that this was very pretentious--their resort to nonviolence did reflect their morality and religious judgements ,but this is not accurate enough to work one hundred percent. Some people think of civil disobedience as something that must be limited, no one knows to what extent or degree, civil disobedience is always in search of limits. The tactic for violation of rights should be openness, because stimulated public is the purpose of civil disobedience. Unjust law... ... and Education, Sept. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. . "Lesson 3 :: Non-Violence and Mass Civil Disobedience  « Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. "Martin Luther King: The Philosophy of Nonviolent Resistance." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . "The Power of Non-violence by Martin Luther King, Jr." TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . Simkin, John. "Malcolm X." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . Is Violence in Pursuit of Happiness Justified? Essay -- Civil Disobedi How are the people, oppressed by others and by the government, supposed to react? Certainly, they do not enjoy being treated unjustly, however, they should still obey the laws. Is it to the laws of the land that command total submission or to his convictions by which he is convinced that the system is totally unjust? Therefore, how should citizens defend their liberties, without using violence or disobeying the law, if they think it’s unjust? If an individual obeys the law, he would automatically be thought of supporting the unjust system but in case he does not, he would be accused of disobeying the law. There are various controversies about whether violence is justified when liberty is threatened. Throughout history, people have had numbers of arguments on this topic. Civil disobedience is usually thought to be an â€Å"illegal activity undertaken to protest laws that are regarded as unjust† (Schlesinger). In order to eliminate injustice, or at least the most unjust law in the system , people may start disobeying that particular law. Thoreau, Gandhi, and King each were closely related on the concept of civil disobedience, they all thought that the government was in need of fundamental transformation. However, they did support the non-violence movements. I would not say that this was very pretentious--their resort to nonviolence did reflect their morality and religious judgements ,but this is not accurate enough to work one hundred percent. Some people think of civil disobedience as something that must be limited, no one knows to what extent or degree, civil disobedience is always in search of limits. The tactic for violation of rights should be openness, because stimulated public is the purpose of civil disobedience. Unjust law... ... and Education, Sept. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. . "Lesson 3 :: Non-Violence and Mass Civil Disobedience  « Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. "Martin Luther King: The Philosophy of Nonviolent Resistance." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . "The Power of Non-violence by Martin Luther King, Jr." TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . Simkin, John. "Malcolm X." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. .

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Determinist Theory Essay -- Psychology, Behavior, Urbanism

Determinist Theory: predicts that the behaviors and characteristics that people show are mediated by â€Å"urbanism,† or example delinquency seem as a consequence due to the negative exposure to urban environments. Wirth's essay â€Å"Urbanism as a Way of Life† studied the social disorganization of the urban life also known as â€Å"community lost perspective.†Although Wirth argues that life in the city is goal oriented, anomic and segmented, other theories argue that â€Å"urbanism† does affects social behavior but there is not proof that â€Å"urbanism† causes mental health, and isolation (152-153). Compositional Theory: this theory examines multiple ways of urban life, it discusses the impact that â€Å"urbanism† has on kinship ethnicity, neighbor relations and occupation behaviors in urban areas. According to the theory the composition of the group is what matters , each area or every group have their own moral codes, and rules of behavior. Gans states that people are influence more by the nature of their community and/or group than by the density , size or heterogeneity , the Chicago School called this the :mosaic of social worlds.† This theory is similar to the subcultural theory (153-154). Subcultural theory: According to Fischer this theory attempts to deal with social problems and how relative is space is to individual actions and the value of their group. Fischer states that macro-structure of the urban society shapes the social world and forms subcultures (154). How do they (theories) help you understand the development of cities? The physical complex of a city will transformed the social constructions of a city. As a city grows so does the behavior of the citizens of such city. The constructors of cities usually promotes an open space whet... ...reality is that they were escaping from the city overpopulation, traffic congestion and problems such as poverty and crime. With the emergence of suburbia, the white affluent people benefited from the amenities that both the country and city offered them. Although things are changing from and people claimed that segregation has ended, there is still segregation of groups. I hope to see one day that there are no differences between social classes, races, ethnicity, or religions, I hope to see a world where every citizen has the same rights. A world where people do not have to die of hunger or because they did not have health care. To achieve that everyone has to get involved in the planning and development of cities, to build a more community oriented city where the beneficiaries are those who form the communities, and not the government or the big corporation.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Graduation Speech Essay

â€Å"The heights by great man reach and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night. †Ã‚  (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  ) Members of the school board, principal and staff, distinguished guests in the audience and on the platform, parents, guardians, graduate, good afternoon. Our guest speaker for this afternoon is Mrs. Merlette Barrett-Fender. She was born in the parish of St. James. There, she attended the Salt Spring All Age School- later the Mt. Alvernia High School then went on to further her education at Shortwood Teachers’ College. She has worked at the Jamaica Telephone Company as an international operator. She later acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Grades Administration offered by Western Carolina University, at the Montego Bay site. Her zeal for leadership led her to access the Master of Science in Educational Leadership just two years later with the Jamaican Programme of Central Connecticut State University. She has worked at the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels of the education system, having the experience as class teacher, subject teacher of English Language and Literature at Cornwall College and as Principal. She presently holds the position of Academic Vice-Principal of Knox Community College. Mrs. Barrett-Fender posses a great love for her country and as a result has made the decision to remain in Jamaica. She takes great pleasure in working amongst Jamaica’s poorest, to help train and educate them and being the voice for some who are voiceless. As a member of the Upper St. James Consultative Committee, she conducts motivational talks to students and teachers. She is the lay preacher of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. She is dedicated to spreading the work of God for the upliftment of people. She possesses a vibrant personality, loves the outdoors, loves good company and enjoys helping others. Mrs. Barrett-Fender believes in having a sound character thus her everyday life is grounded in integrity. Her community involvement includes being a member of the Friends of the Hospital, the founder of Salt Spring All Age Past Students’ Association, past president and fund raising committee member, speaking at graduation exercises, Patron of the Knox Early Childhood Institute, motivational speaker, mentor and counselor. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls; please put your hands together as I introduce to some and present to the others Mrs. Barrett-Fender.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Age of Exploration Essay

The age of exploration had many varied effects on the countries involved, mainly Spain, France, and England. By establishing a prosperous empire in South America by conquering the native people, Spain became vastly wealthy off of the gold collected by its native subjects. However, since the native people were dying off rapidly due to the foreign diseases brought over by the Conquistadors, as well as malnutrition and fatigue, Spain and Portugal were the first to introduce slavery to the New World by replacing them with African slaves brought over by Portuguese slave traders. The silver mining by these slaves caused world trade to increase. Often, silver brought to Europe from America was then traded with China and other Asian countries, making silk, porcelain, and Indian spices more prevalent in Europe. Products from America that became popular in Europe included corn, potatoes, pineapples, and sugar cane. Many cultures spread and combined with others: Spanish missionaries converted natives to Christianity, which then combined the new Christian beliefs with the natives’ cultural traditions. Another example, Arabian coffee with American sugar became quite popular throughout Europe. Although saying that anyone who crossed the Atlantic (at least when referring to modern theories) truly discovered America is ridiculous, I believe that the first to do so was Leif Eriksson and his group of Vikings whose settlement was found in Canada. According to the Greenlander saga and the Eric saga, his father, Eric the Red, a Viking outlaw, discovered Greenland. In order to establish himself as a man separate from his father, Leif sailed to the west in order to discover his own land. He sailed west because there had been a rumor in Greenland for the past fifteen years of a merchant sailing from Iceland to Greenland whose ship had been blown off course in a storm. According to the rumor, the merchant claimed that there were three separate lands west of Greenland. Around the year 1000, Leif purchased the merchant’s ship from the story, and obtained directions from the same merchant. He set sail only for a few days, which was reportedly was miserable due to the conditions on the open boat. On this expedition, they were seeking trees, which were scare in Greenland, but abundant in what is now northern Newfoundland, Canada, where the party landed. Leif named the new land Vinland after the wild grapes found there and the wine the grapes produced. Shortly thereafter, the settlers began to erect a settlement and scouted the land. In 1960, the archeologist and set out to find the fabled Vinland, using a four hundred year old Icelandic map and descriptions from the sagas. On the very northern tip of Newfoundland, they came across an area of mounds and ruins near a small town. Because the ruins predated the settlement of the area, the locals had always believed that Native Americans created the mounds. In fact, through almost seven years of painstaking excavations and radiocarbon testing, it was proven that the ruins were of a settlement dating back to the year 1000. Various artifacts found at the site also confirmed its Norse origins. Archeologists have gone so far as to pinpoint which ‘house’ was Leif Eriksson’s, based on size and complexity of the structure. I believe that Leif Eriksson was the first to cross the Atlantic and settle in America because of many factors. The radiocarbon dating of the site which puts it at 1000 C. E. immediately eliminates any of the explorers from the age of exploration, as well as the Chinese in 1492, in addition to the obvious implausibility of traveling above Canada in ice riddled waters in a flimsy wooden vessel. A case could perhaps be made for the merchant in the sagas who started the rumor, but as with all epic stories, the Icelanders who were the ones to transcribe the sagas based on oral stories, may have simply added him in as a fictional supporting character. Because of this and other equally plausible scenarios, I have to concede that Leif Eriksson was the first to reach the New World by crossing the Atlantic. There is confusion among certain people about whether America was colonized because of a desire for more money on the part of England or because the colonists were seeking religious freedom from the Roman Catholic Church. This confusion stems mainly from the watered down version of Jamestown and the Mayflower that we teach students at a young age. While it is true that Puritans did indeed come to the New World seeking religious freedom, the initial desire to colonize America was all about the desire for wealth. Because of Spain’s conquests in South America, the gold it had acquired from the natives and silver mining had made the country vastly wealthy and other nations were eager to get their share of the riches. America also had an abundant supply of farmland at a time when many farmers had small farms that they toiled over in an effort to merely support their families. In addition, as more settlers moved to America and created a demand for indulgences that they were accustomed to in Europe, the companies that sold such items made more money because of the higher prices the settlers had to pay in order to accommodate shipping costs. In short, while religious freedom was a noble and idealistic dream, it wouldn’t benefit anyone or make any money, which is what people were chiefly concerned with. How would America be different if it had been settled one hundred years later, in 1592? To begin with, it probably would not be called ‘America’. America is so named after Amerigo Vespucci; however, as he died in 1512, it is unlikely that we would have been named after him. Perhaps we would be named Raleigh, after Walter Raleigh, a British explorer of both North and South America in our actual history. Christopher Columbus would not be in history books, as he would not have been to Raleigh. Native Americans thus would have never been referred to as Indians. Because of our late start as a nation, it is reasonable to assume that certain historical events in our country would be delayed, let us say, fifty years or so. Because colonization was delayed, it would take longer for tensions to raise between the colonists and the French, so the French and Indian War would not have started in 1689, but around 1739 instead. This in turn would delay the Seven years war and thus the taxed imposed by the British that led to the American Revolution, which would now begin in 1825. Thus, we would have the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1826 and become our own country in 1833. Or alternatively, because of the differing technology, we might have lost the war and still been English today. But lets assume that we won and Raleigh was founded. I believe the Civil War would have been delayed as well until 1911, three years before World War One started. Both world wars, because we did not start them, would have happened the same years as they actually did, 1914 and 1939 respectably. However, I believe that the issue of civil and women’s’ rights would have been later in coming, perhaps in the 80’s. We would probably be dealing with racism more than gay rights today, if that were the case. And our music would be behind as well, so 60’s music today would then be 80’s music now.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Methodology in action research Essay

Appropriate methods should be employed in the various stages of implementing a successful action research strategy. I have selected the methods discussed below based on their reliability and cost among other important criteria. This research in a qualitative survey and aims at gathering enough data from the selected sample. The data collected will then be subjected to qualitative analysis using the appropriate tools. This paper therefore seeks to gather relevant data from people who are led and those who practice leadership in the selected organizations. The selection of the sample was based random sampling technique so as to avoid bias selection. This is also significant in obtaining composite data that will touch on a variety of organizations that practice leadership. For the participants in this research I have chosen managers of various organizations for instance the sales managers are normally the team leaders in the sales team therefore they can provide the relevant data concerning leadership in their organization. I have also targeted to interview members of such team who are also capable of giving out information regarding to how they relate with their leaders and what they feel about their current leadership . In an organization like a bank I will target the sales representatives of customer relations officers who are part of teams in that particular firm. Data collection The first technique I will use will be the available information. This will be found in books, magazines, journals, reports and the internet. I will go for this technique because I will not spend much besides the information being readily available. But I fear that issues regarding to confidentiality may arise and I may also get incomplete information. The methods should also consider the appropriate demographic that is targeted in the research. Structured interviews in the form of questionnaires can best work for collecting pieces of information form that targeted group. This method is objective and its validity is high. Written questionnaires permitted anonymity and made me get more honest responses from the respondents. The following are examples of questions to be included in the questionnaire; What can you say about leadership in your organization? Are there teams in your organization? Does your team leader understand the needs of the other members? Have you ever been a leader? Do you trust your leaders and are they open to their subjects? What do you think a good leader should have? Do the leaders in your organization understand men and women who work for the organization? Are you contended with the leadership in your organization in terms of human relations? Do you think good human relations affects leadership in your organization? Oral interviews will also utilize because they provide direct contact with the sources of information hence increasing validity. I also preferred this method because of its flexibility besides seeking clarification where doubts exist. If a respondent does not understand well a given question I can give him an example or explain further before getting his/her response. There was a higher response in this method as compared to the written questionnaires where some respondents were asking for more time and some even delayed with their responses. The only problem I expect while using written questionnaires is that some respondents will delay and some will not be honest enough. This is because as they delay with the questionnaires some of them will go consulting and therefore compromise some of the ethical values associated with the information they are supposed to supply. Data analysis This part is vital so as to establish the relevance of what has been gathered Appropriate tools have to be used in this stage because the product will be used for interpretation I would prefer to use bar graphs in the analysis because they are straightforward and can easily convey the expected message. They are also very easy to construct using Ms Excel tools. Ms excel is able to choose different types of bar graphs that will bring out clear comparisons between the variables. I will format the graph in such a way that it will have different colors representing the views of the respondents on some of the questions concerning leadership in their organization for instance I can use Red, Blue and Green to represent Good, Fair and Bad leadership. This can be interpreted by whoever will be reading the report and reveal to him/her that the team members have a specific perception of how social intelligence affects leadership in the society. The bar graphs would be very useful especially when comparing between two or more variables. However one challenge with the bar graphs is that they will require some additional verbal or written explanation to accompany them. This will be a challenge because it will mean additional time will have to be created so as to provide the additional materials in terms of explanations. This will also result in more expenses because more effort will have to be put in.

Chinese Artifacts Essay

The artist of this calligraphy scroll, Zhao Mengfu, was highly praised by the Yuan emperor Renzong as unrivaled traditional Chinese polymath (for a lack of a better word). It is said that the emperor admired him for possessing the following seven outstanding qualities: wide learning, Song royal ancestry, elegant and charismatic appearance, pure character and righteous conduct, literary accomplishment, mastery of calligraphy and painting skills, and profound knowledge of Buddhist and Daoist teachings. As an leading and influential calligraphy during his era, Zhao was able to successfully advocate and promote many of the views that he had on Chinese calligraphy. Zhao supported a return to the ancient models, which integrated the Jin (265 – 420AD) and Tang (618 – 906AD) dynasty styles to synthesize a new norm for standard and cursive scripts. In later eras, many printed texts were modeled after the standard script that he helped create. Furthermore, the cursive style script, depicted in this scroll titled Four Anecdotes from the Life of Wang Xizhi, became the foundations of the informal calligraphic styles of those how succeeded him. One of the four anecdotes from the â€Å"Life of Wang Xizhi† tells the story of a time when Xizhi, a ‘calligraphic’ sage, was extremely fond of the [graceful appearance of] geese. In Shanyin there was a Daoist monk who had raised a flock of more than ten fine geese. One morning Wang decided to take a small boat and go there. He was delighted with the geese and wanted to buy them, but the monk refused to sell. Wang tried in vain to persuade him. Finally, the monk told Wang that he loved Daoist philosophy and had always wanted a transcription of Laozi’s Daodejing with its commentary by Heshanggong. He had already prepared the silk, but no one was qualified to write it. He asked if Wang would condescend to transcribe two chapters each from the Dao and De sections, for which he would give Wang the whole flock. Wang stayed for half a day to write out the chapters, then he caged the geese and returned home. (Citation) In many ways, this story possesses many aspects of traditional Daoist philosophies. Firstly, the events and interactions between the Monk and Xizhi is highly reflective of the ‘interdependence’ between beings. Furthermore, the fact that the Monk refuse to trade his geese through monetary means underlines Daoist de-emphasis of material objects, especially something as superficial as money. Rather, the Monk was willing to give up his geese for an implementation Xizhi’s skill and mastery of calligraphy. In a way, this reveals belief that an individual should play the role of what he or she was ‘meant’. In other words, the Monk’s offer of his geese for calligraphy mirrors some sort of a natural guidance for Xizhi to walk in accordance to the Way. In summary, the story told through the calligraphy of this scroll is highly relavent to the Daoist themes that were studied throughout the course. Object : Buddhist stele, Tang dynasty (618–906), ca. 700 Origins: China Material: Black limestone Size: H. 64 1/2 in. (163. 7 cm) This relic originates from the temple in the Xinxiang County in the central Chinese province of Henan. A stele is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief or painted onto the slab. In this case, the Buddhist stele is made of black limestone and is curved to give the outline of the figure of Guanyin. In this stele, we see many of the symbolism commonly studied in the Chinese Buddhism. Firstly, the graceful of stance the pair of bodhisattvas implicates a noble yet welcoming gesture which is reflective of the characters theor sage-hood. Secondly, judging by the small objects inscribed on the crown – a figure of the Buddha – they represent Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), one of the principal bodhisattvas associated with the Pure Land cult. Despite the damages accumulated over time, the gentle S-shape swing of the bodhisattvas’ bodies gives an essence of individuality to each of the figures. The Western Pure Land sect, derived from the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha, was the sect that attracted the largest number of followers. As we have discussed in class, this was most likely due to the motivation that salvation awaits each and every devotee in a paradise situated in the western realm of Buddhist cosmology. The ability of Buddhism to discuss subjects like the afterlife was one of the largest sources of its popularity. This black limestone stele is one of the best examples of Buddhist devotional art in the Tang period of Chinese history. Object: Central watchtower, architectural model, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220), 1st–early 3rd century Origin: China Material: Earthenware with green lead glaze Size: H. 41 in. (104. 1 cm) The Han dynasty (206 B. C. –220 A. D. ) is deemed to be one of the most important and inflectional dynasties in pre-modern China due to it lasting effects in imperial structure and formation of a national consciousness. Chinese people, until today, still refer to themselves as ‘Han Chinese†. Furthermore, the architecture styles that were established during the Han period layed the ground works for the architecture of the eras to follow. Han architecture was a grand improvement to the architecture of those that precede them; it includes vast palatial complexes, towered gateways, and city walls were built as symbols of power and prestige as well as for defense. This model art piece embodies many of the essential features of Han architecture: the overhanging tiles supported by the roof, the four sided style infrastructure and the stacking effect. In many ways, this specific model, less a few details, is reminiscent of the temple building the class visited for the lecture on Buddhism. In relation to our studies, a great variety of these architectural models were used in the decoration of the tomb in the Han era to show the status of the person being buried. Object: Spouted ritual wine vessel (guang), Shang dynasty, early Anyang period (ca. 1300–1050 b. c. ), 13th century b. c. Origin: Possibly Anyang, Henan Province, China Material: Bronze Size: W. 13 in. (33 cm) This artifact, a bronze casted vessel, dates back to the late Shang era (ca. 1300–1050 B. C. ). The shape of the wine vessel is said to be loosely based on a figure of a bird; this is identifiable through the hooked beak feature and glaring eyes effect from the face on view. As we have studied, the Shang people had many beliefs about the spiritual world. This vessel is believed to have been used to pour wine and other beverages in ceremonies involving Shang ruler and their ancestors and supernatural forces. Other feature on the vessel includes coiled serpents emerging from the wings, roaring tiger-dragons prowling along the sides, horned bird that serves as a handle. This existence an artifact of this age gives us insights into the superior technology of casting in ancient China. The complicated multilayered designs are unparalleled by other cultures of the time. It is believed that the technique used for this the bronze casting is through a ceramic mold and the usage of an interior clay core. Motel bronze is then poured into filled the empty space between the intricate design and the core. Once the clay core was emptied out, the result is the astonishing bronzed vessel with complex designed as described. Again, such artifacts can be used to validate the hypotheses and speculations about the technologies and lifestyle during an ancient civilization like the Shang.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Aplastic Anemia

Aplastic anemia is also sometimes associated with exposure to toxins such as  benzene, or with the use of certain drugs, includingchloramphenicol,  carbamazepine,  felbamate,  phenytoin,  quinine, and  phenylbutazone. Many drugs are associated with aplasia mainly according to case reports but at a very low probability. As an example, chloramphenicol treatment is followed by aplasia in less than 1 in 40,000 treatment courses, and carbamazepine aplasia is even more rare. Exposure to  ionizing radiation  from  radioactive materials  or radiation-producing devices is also associated with the development of aplastic anemia. Aplastic anemia is present in up to 2% of patients with acute  viral hepatitis[citation needed]. In some animals aplastic anemia may have other causes. For example, in the  ferret  (Mustela putorius furo) aplastic anemia is caused byestrogen  toxicity. This is because female ferrets are  induced ovulators, so mating is required to bring the female out of heat. Intact females, if not mated, will remain in heat, and after some time the high levels of estrogen will cause the bone marrow to stop producing red blood cells. The condition needs to be differentiated from pure red cell aplasia. In aplastic anemia the patient has pancytopenia (i. e. , anemia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia) resulting in decrease of all formed elements. In contrast, pure red cell aplasia is characterized by reduction in red cells only. The diagnosis can only be confirmed on  bone marrow examination. Before this procedure is undertaken, a patient will generally have had other  blood tests  to find diagnostic clues, including a  complete blood count  (CBC),  renal function  and  electrolytes,  liver enzymes,  thyroidfunction tests,  vitamin B12  and  folic acid  levels. Following tests aid in determining differential diagnosis for aplastic anemia: 1. Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy: to rule out other causes of pancytopenia (i. e. neoplastic infiltration or significant myelofibrosis). 2. History of iatrogenic exposure to cytotoxic chemotherapy: can cause transient bone marrow suppression 3. X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, or ultrasound imaging tests: enlarged lymph nodes (sign of lymphoma), kidneys and bones in arms and hands (abnormal in Fanconi anemia) 4. Chest X-ray: infections 5. Liver tests: liver diseases . Viral studies: viral infections 7. Vitamin B12  and folate levels: vitamin deficiency 8. Blood tests for  paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria 9. Test for antibodies: immune competency. Treating immune-mediated aplastic anemia involves suppression of the  immune system, an effect achieved by daily  medicine  intake, or, in more severe cases, a  bone marrow transplant, a potential cure. [2]  The transplanted bone marrow r eplaces the failing bone marrow cells with new ones from a matching donor. The  multipotent  stem cells in the bone marrow reconstitute all three blood cell lines, giving the patient a new immune system, red blood cells, and platelets. However, besides the risk of graft failure, there is also a risk that the newly created white blood cells may attack the rest of the body (graft-versus-host disease). Medical therapy of aplastic anemia often includes a short course of  anti-thymocyte globulin  (ATG) or  anti-lymphocyte globulin  (ALG) and several months of treatment with  ciclosporin  to modulate the  immune system. Mild  chemotherapy  with agents such as  cyclophosphamide  andvincristine  may also be effective. Antibody  therapy, such as ATG, targets T-cells, which are believed to attack the bone marrow. Steroids  are generally ineffective, though are often used to combat  serum sickness  caused by ATG use. One prospective study involving cyclophosphamide was terminated early due to a high incidence of mortality, due to severe infections as a result of prolonged  neutropenia. [3] In the past, before the above treatments became available, patients with low leukocyte counts were often confined to a sterile room or bubble (to reduce risk of  infections), as in the famed case of  Ted DeVita. 4] [edit]Follow-up Regular  full blood counts  are required to determine whether the patient is still in a state of remission. 10-33% of all patients develop the  rare disease  paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria  (PNH, anemia with thrombopenia and/or  thrombosis), which has been explained as an escape mechanism by the bone marrow against destruction by the immune system. Flow cyto metry  testing is performed regularly in people with previous aplastic anemia to monitor for the development of PNH.